EP triumphs as Kenya battles wind, focus

DISCIPLINED: EP’s Sherwin Slater sends the ball out wide to Nkoskhona Nofuma in their Mzansi Challenge match against Kenya on Saturday. Picture: MARK CARRELS

By MARK CARRELS

EP brought their A-game into the second half to beat Kenya 18-7 in the Mzansi Challenge match at the Port Alfred High School Grounds on Saturday April 29.

Despite the EP Elephants taking a 10-7 lead into the second half, it was Kenya who were on the front foot in the preceding half with the wind in their faces. Kenya held their own in the first half, pushing EP back and at times playing them off the ball in the scrums. The Kenyans too were eager to run the ball but just like with EP handling errors put paid to any significant results.

The swirling, windy conditions made ball-handling difficult with the ball often popping out of players’ hands, while the tight and the loose were hard-fought affairs. EP winger Charles Goeda made EP’s possession count by dotting down on the left in the first 10 minutes, with flyhalf Masixole Banda’s conversion successful. Kenya dominated for a spell with Ephraim Odour barging over for a well-worked try and a successful conversion (7-7).

Handling errors were creeping into the game and Goeda missed another golden opportunity but dropped the ball with a possible try on the cards. The game was now becoming a stop-start affair and, after a kick ahead by EP into the opposing half, Kenya infringed and flyhalf Banda converted.

Fans sitting in deckchairs alongside the pitch and those under gazebos screamed in excitement when livewire No. 9 Sonwabo Majola kicked the ball ahead, gathered it, but knocked it forward as a promising attack started to build into Kenya’s 22m area. The Kenya front row shaded a jaded-looking EP front row in the scrums, at one stage pushing them off the ball after sustained pressure. EP could not make the wind advantage count and settled for a 10-7 lead going into the second half.

Both coaches spoke hard to their players during the break and it seemed it was the Kenyans who lost their focus despite the serious pep talk. EP must have been all ears though, because despite now having the wind in their faces and Kenya the wind at their backs, it was the Gqeberha-based team that turned on the screws.

EP came out the more disciplined of the two sides in the second stanza, playing with a new-found commitment, attacking the gain-line through their forwards to keep themselves on the front foot. The Kenyans who acquitted themselves well in the first half, were now ordinary-looking in the second, hardly ever venturing into the opposing 22.

Kenya clearly did not factor the wind into their game-plan, often trying to run the ball but spilling it too frequently. The windy conditions didn’t help, but as captain George Nyambua said after the game: “it should be no excuse as we lost focus and did not follow Coach’s orders”.

In the scrums Zukisa Sali and Duan du Plessis had the better of their opposite numbers, Ephriam Odour and Griffin Musila. EP captain and No. 6 Diego Williams was all hustle-and-bustle in the tight and loose, while opposite number, Nyambua, tried hard to lead by example.

EP’s No 15 Tiaan Schutte put in a man-of-the-match performance and was the outstanding player on the park. His kicking game in the swirling conditions and his ball-handling skills, especially under the high ball, were excellent, which kept EP on the front foot and their tryline safe.

Kenya were penalised when after a kick ahead by Schutte, EP got possession of the ball after Kenya had initially smothered it. Banda’s penalty was successful, which meant a 13-7 game. Brilliant handling by the EP backs led to a lineout in the Kenyans 22 after which Duan Du Plessis barged over for a try. The conversion was unsuccessful.

The 18-7 scoreline remained intact but not before Kenya made one of their very brief forays into the EP 22m area just when the hooter had sounded. Despite a late promising move the ball spilled out of one of their forwards’ hands for a knock-on and the referee signalled the end of the game.

Kenya’s Nyambua was disappointed with his team’s second half performance.

“We had them under pressure in the first half … come second half, the guys got carried away because we were now playing with the wind and our opponents against it.”

Nyamba said his team did not execute their plans to what was expected.

“Playing with the wind, we were supposed to put pressure on them in their 22m …I think we just switched off and lost our focus,” said Nyambua.

EP’s Williams was happy that his team had avenged their defeat to the Kenyans in Nairobi last time out. “We decided to minimise our mistakes and keep our structure, be tighter in the scrums and to be more disciplined in the lineouts in the second half. We knew we had to fight harder and I’m happy with how we fought back as a team.”